The vacated visa requirements will now be replaced by the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, the government has announced.

A statement by Principal Secretary Ministry of Interior and National Administration Julius Bitok says the initiative is designed for visa-exempt foreign nationals traveling to or transiting through Kenya, especially by air.

The PS also disclosed that so far 9,787 ETA applications have been received online, out of which 4,046 have already been processed while the others are undergoing review on priority basis guided by the travel schedule submitted by each applicant.

“The introduction of ETA system is premised on the need to have a fair, faster and reliable system that also addresses Kenya’s security and other strategic interests,

“Before ETA, citizens from 51 countries enjoyed visa-free entry to Kenya, while travellers from 155 other countries were subject to a visa application process at a cost of $50,” reads the statement.

In a bid to boost tourism and attract more foreign investments to Kenya, the

Government removed all visa requirements for all foreign nationals visiting and transiting through Kenya from January 2024.

“This decision reflects our commitment to the promotion of an open, accessible and inclusive tourism and investment environment,” stated Bitok adding that ETA has introduced significant changes to the travel and transit experience for foreign nationals visiting Kenya.

Applicable payments

This includes equal treatment and reduced charges where the entry requirements and applicable payments for all foreign nationals, except for East African Community (EAC) citizens, will now be the same irrespective of the country of origin.

“The visa fee was $50 while the ETA fee for all is $30, thereby ensuring fairness and equality,” the statement clarified.

The PS added that previously, travellers from 51 countries were not required to fill out any forms on personal and relevant travel details and there was no means of obtaining data to inform critical decisions and plans around security, infrastructure and insurance needs.

“With the introduction of the ETA, we now have comprehensive data on all visitors, significantly improving our ability to ensure the safety and well-being of both our visitors and citizens, says PS Bitok.

The system has also led to reduced processing time compared to visa application as ETA provides for a simple and faster process.

 Previously, it took up to 14 days to process visa applications for foreigners from 12 listed countries. The waiting  period for this category has now been drastically reduced to a maximum of 72 hours.

The department also introduced a

24-hour service desk dedicated to ETA which will ensure clients are promptly attended to irrespective of the hour while also taking into consideration the different time zones across the world.

“We will continue to review and refine the ETA system to align it with our clients’ convenience and to support our commitment to make Kenya a natural home for visitors and investors.